HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 3.E 6/16/2014(9)
DATE: June 16, 2014
TO: Honorable yor and Members of the City Council through City Manager
FROM: Dan St J SCE —Director, Public Works and Utilities
Curtis .Bates, P.E., City Engineer
SUBJECT: Resolution Adopting the City of Petaluma Safe Routes to School Plan May 2014
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt the City of Petaluma Safe Routes to School Plan
May 2014.
BACKGROUND
On December 5, 2011, City Council accepted the Cycle 3 Federal Safe Routes to School (SRTS)
Program Grant for the Safe Routes to School Plan Project. The goal of the Safe Routes to
School program is to maintain and improve safety for students traveling to and from school by
bicycle and on foot, and to promote these modes for traveling to school for grades K-8.
Staff applied for this current grant to update and expand on the existing Safe Routes to School
Plan created in 2005, which included twelve elementary school campuses (one of which has
since closed). Many of the recommended projects within the 1,000 foot radius proposed in the
2005 plan have been implemented. The new plan increased the infrastructure review radius to
half -mile and included three junior high school campuses as shown in the project map included
as Attachment 2.
Following Council approval and Caltrans authorization to proceed with the project, staff
requested proposals from consultants to prepare the plan and selected W -Trans of Santa Rosa.
Prior to scheduling field visits and meeting with schools, W -Trans began work by reviewing the
existing Safe Routes to School Plan created in 2005. The new plan includes eleven elementary
schools, one alternative school campus (Valley Oaks), and two junior high school campuses
within Petaluma's city limits. An updated plan will help the City compete more competitively
when applying for future State or Federal SRTS funding.
The proposed action meets Council Goal: "Maintain a safe Petaluma."
Agenda Review:
City Attorney Finance Director
City Manager
DISCUSSION
To assist in updating the Safe Routes to School Plan, the City of Petaluma met with stakeholders
comprised of Public Works and Utilities staff, Petaluma Police Department staff; the Petaluma
Youth Commission, Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee (PBAC), and designated
representatives from each school campus.
Tasks to complete the new plan included field visits, school walkability studies, walking audits,
and student/parent surveys. Existing infrastructure was reviewed and included: sidewalk
continuity and condition along existing routes to school, striping, signage, pavement markings,
presence of bike lanes and bike racks, pedestrian curb ramp locations, crosswalks, crossing
guards, and signalized intersections. In addition, existing and proposed infrastructure maps were
created for each school campus.
The Safe Routes to School planning process involved the public in several ways. Surveys were
circulated on every school campus for input on how many students currently biked, walked or
drove to school and the survey questions were geared towards finding out what changes needed
to be made both infrastructure or otherwise to encourage more walking or bicycling. The Youth
Commission compiled an independent survey with similar questions to highschool students.
Staff also presented the draft Safe Routes to School Plan to PBAC at its regular meetings in June
2013, December 2013 and March 2014 for input and comments and provided updates on the
progress throughout the project. The PBAC unanimously recommended approval of the updated
Safe Routes to School Plan at the March 2014 meeting. This plan is available to review on the
City's website or by request to the City Engineer's office. Due to the length of the report, it is
not reproduced here, but is available for review in the City Clerk's office.
The Safe Routes to School Plan being presented to Council has included all information
compiled from the tasks, surveys and comments and is ready for City Council's review and
adoption.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS
The Safe Routes to School Plan was jointly prepared by W -Trans and City staff. The Plan does
not commit new funding to infrastructure projects. All consultant and staff costs up to this date
have been 100% reimbursed by the Federal Safe Routes to School Grant. The maximum grant
amount is $129,600, with $114,385 encumbered for W -Trans Professional Services Agreement
and remaining funds in the amount of $15,215 allocated for City staff time. There will be no
financial impacts to the City by approving this Plan.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution
2. 14 School Campus Locations
® Items listed below are large in volume and are not attached to this report, but may be
viewed at the City Clerk's office:
3. Final Safe Routes to School Plan — May 23, 2014
Attachment 1
RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE CITY OF PETALUMA SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL
PLAN MAY 2014
WHEREAS, the Plan is an infrastructure safe routes to school plan for fourteen Petaluma
school campuses; and
WHEREAS, the Plan represents an ongoing effort by the City to improve pedestrian and
bicycle safety; and
WHEREAS, the Plan will help prioritize safety improvements projects for school routes
to and from the fourteen school campuses and provide data for applying for future grant funding;
and
WHEREAS, the Plan was presented to the Petaluma Police Department, Pedestrian and
Bicycle Advisory Committee, the Youth Commission, and all school campuses for input and
comments; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of
Petaluma hereby adopt the City of Petaluma Safe Routes to School Plan May 2014, available on
the City website and incorporated herein by reference.
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Attachment 2
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